The Black Valkyrie
by Andromeda2050
Summary: In the first battle against Hela, another valkyrie survived, only she fled in fear when she watched her sister sacrifice herself to save another. Racked with guilt and pain, Dahlia unintentionally brings trouble with her as she stumbles through a portal to earth. And so much time has passed... (AU, and possible smut in later chapters.)
1. Chapter 1

Under the dead of night, Samantha Davidson was driving on a bridge crossing the James River. She was heading home from a long day at work, her head clouded by all things pediatrics. She rubbed her eyes, and as she glanced towards the water, she had seen a small shape moving along the side of the river. At first, she was certain she had to be seeing things. However, as she focused in on the shadow, she realized it was another woman, and no one else seemed to be around.

Samantha parked the car on the side of the road as soon as she reached the other end of the bridge. She had weaved through trees and muck to get to the bank of the river, and soon, she spotted a muddled girl walking along the water. She had to be in her mid-twenties. She was soaked, and she looked lost and hurt. Samantha wondered if the girl might have been running from an abusive husband or something, but as she called out to her, the girl didn't respond. She seemed completely incoherent, dazed as she lazily walked along the ground.

"Hey! You okay?"

Then, the girl collapsed to the ground, as if all of the energy had been taken out of her. Samantha hurried over to her, falling beside her only to try and help her up. No one else was here, but she still wondered if maybe this poor soul was running from something. She helped her back to the car, carefully aiding her into the passenger's seat, though she still seemed too far out of it to really say much of anything.

After a minute of driving down the road and dreading how much cleaning it would take to get the mud out of that seat, Samantha spoke.

"What happened to you?"

The girl just leaned her head back against the seat, her platinum hair half-covering her face as she stared out through the window. She looked traumatized by something, though Samantha wasn't about to push it any further. Once they got back to the house, Samantha texted her husband, Jerry. There was no doubt he would raise questions if he came home to see some strange woman, but she wasn't about to leave her stranded out there. As a person in the medical field, her heart bled if she saw anyone in pain.

She started up a nice, hot bath for the stranger, even heated and stirred up some leftover spaghetti for her. As the girl bathed, Samantha was getting ready to throw the dirtied, though strange dress in the washing machine when she found a handwritten letter in its pocket.

It was addressed to a Dahlia, though most of it was unreadable, as the ink had been smudged beyond recognition by the water. She wondered if that was the name of the girl she had brought here.

Eventually, she heard the bathroom door open, and the girl with the silver hair looked much better than before, dressed in some pajamas that Samantha had let her borrow. Compared to the strange garb the girl wore before, cute owls suited her better.

"Are you hungry?" she offered her, leading her into the kitchen. "I have some leftover pasta."

"Thank you..." Finally, her first words came, though Samantha wasn't sure she recognized her accent - some sort of European descent, she imagined.

"Sure," she said, setting down a bowl of spaghetti with a fork and a napkin. "Is your name Dahlia?"

At first, the girl appeared as if she had to think about it. If she had memory loss, Samantha certainly hadn't seen any blood that indicated she might have been hit on the head or anything. "Yes."

Good, at least she got something out of her. Before Samantha could ask any more questions, however, she found herself gawking as Dahlia started eating the spaghetti, using her fingers to pick the noodles out of the bowl. "Uh..." Did this girl forget how to use eating utensils, too? "Do you remember what happened?"

As the other girl stopped, she seemed uncertain again, but her face expressed that she was trying to recall. Finally, she shook her head. "I don't remember..."

Samantha supposed she might have to take her to the hospital, but she seemed perfectly healthy. She had no injuries that she could tell, and she certainly had a healthy appetite. It was then that the doctor noticed that Dahlia had an interesting necklace around her neck, the likes of which she'd never seen - it looked like a set of wings, and in the center of them was a symbol that almost resembled the shape of a key. Maybe bringing that up might trigger a memory?

"That's a pretty necklace you have there," she pointed it out, sitting down at the table across from her. Dahlia looked down at it as she slurped down her spaghetti, though she still seemed generally confused about the whole situation. Dahlia would then look over to the television, which was on the news channel that had been reviewing the events of New York City and the wormhole that had materialized above it. Samantha wondered... Would this stranger have anything to do with it? Was she even of this world?

That was definitely jumping ahead on assumptions, but in this day and age, with gods and mutations making themselves known to the world, what was it to say that wasn't entirely possible?

When Jerry came home, he seemed relatively uninterested in the unexpected visitor. He had a long day at work, too, trying to help his organization clean up more of the mess from New York City's massive disaster. That was part of what S.H.I.E.L.D. did, after all. Her husband usually had a story or two to tell about The Avengers, but today, he was just exhausted.

Samantha took Dahlia to the hospital the next day to do some exams on her, though kept it a secret from her colleagues. After all, she was supposed to be off today. Her CT and MRI scans seemed totally normal, as did everything else, except her blood pressure was a little high. Aside from that, she was as healthy as she ought to be for her age. Dahlia was cooperative through the whole thing, and though she still seemed somewhat lethargic, she did talk a little, though her speech seemed kind of...formal, maybe?

It was hard to explain.

Finally, she raised some of her questions up with Jerry, who took some time to communicate with her. He thought he might have been getting somewhere when, on the third night, tragedy struck. Samantha was upstairs when it all came down. She heard a glass window shatter, followed by her husband yelling from the living room. At first, she thought perhaps Dahlia might have snapped, but as she ran down the stairs to see what was happening, she saw two, strange, yet terrifying creatures that looked kind of like floating eyeballs with tentacles. She would have screamed, had Dahlia not already been using a fireplace poker to take them out...and with the skill of a freaking ninja, at that.

Jerry had been injured in the fight, but after the two nightmares had fled, the girl instantly took to healing him, and she used _magic_.

So cool!

"What are you?" Samantha asked in disbelief, though she knew she probably should have been thanking Dahlia for saving her husband's life. Yet, she watched as the woman fell to the floor in heavy breaths, as if what she had just done took everything out of her. At the same time, her face took on a look mixed with horror and confusion.

"I... I don't know..."

Jerry realized right away that something else had to be done with Dahlia. Doctors visits and hospitality was not what this woman needed. He explained to Samantha that he wanted to talk to Fury and see what he thought of the situation. It was evident to him that those monsters had come for Dahlia, and they only attacked him because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. What they were, he didn't know, but he was willing to bet that they were also the reason that Dahlia wound up here in New York to begin with.

She most certainly was not human, and with healing and combat skills like that, with a little bit of work, she could prove to be a valuable ally for S.H.I.E.L.D.

He just had to talk to the big guy first, and that in itself would take some time.

Samantha saw more and more of what Dahlia was capable of as the weeks passed. The woman stayed in their home with them, and on occasion, Samantha had a client that needed help with their child, though they were more or less friends that chose to come see her when she was off the clock, though they really should have been making appointments.

The doctor found herself dumbfounded when she witnessed her house guest heal a child's infected spider bite - one that would have been quite gruesome if he hadn't been given antibiotics. Right there in front of her, there was a blue glow and a swirl of light - something that Samantha had never seen in her life.

She told Jerry, and finally, with this news, Jerry was able to get Nick Fury's attention.

Since then, things hadn't exactly been simple, even though she almost never got to see her friend once she was recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. Jerry, who worked closely with the director of one of their subdivisions, Pandora Peters, and Ms. Peters had been the one to approach them with what they found out.

She was the daughter of a Norse goddess. The details hadn't been worked out yet, but the runic symbol on the necklace, along with her abilities, was strong evidence enough to point to that. Samantha was awestruck by the fact that she had helped a goddess get back up on her feet, but that still didn't explain a number of things, like how Dahlia got to earth, and why couldn't she remember who she was?

"Are you really that surprised?" Nick Fury inquired, standing across from Dahlia as she sank into the chair behind her. She didn't know what to think. Sure, she knew something was strange about her, but...

"A goddess?" she repeated, stuttering slightly. "Not me... I'm a nobody."

"So far, you've proven yourself wrong." Even after a week of visiting the organization and Fury for questioning, she had a hard time not staring at his eye patch, and her curiosity as to how he lost his eye had yet to dissipate.

She said nothing.

"That necklace you're wearing... You've never taken it off, have you?"

"This thing?" she asked, looking down at the chain around her neck. Samantha had made mention of it before. She couldn't remember where it came from, or who gave it to her, but she always kept it close. "No, I guess not."

"It's a Norse rune. I certainly don't know what it stands for, but I bet I know someone who would." He was dialing numbers on his phone now. Dahlia watched tensely. Over these past, few weeks, she had seen Samantha and Jerry use similar devices to contact people that were far away. They called it a cell phone, apparently.

"Send him on up," Fury said into the device before he would hang up. He sat down in one of the chairs across from the dumbfounded recruit, watching her expression for a moment as it changed from surprise to confusion, then to disbelief. "This happens more than you'd think," he said, and she wasn't sure if he was trying to comfort her or just state a fact. "If there's one thing we seem to be good at, aside from saving the world, it's helping people like you learn who you really are."

Soon, behind him, the elevator doors opened, a man with short, blond hair and an eye patch walked in. The shining armor and red cape that waved in his wake seemed oddly familiar to her, but for some reason, she couldn't place it.

Instantly, the unnamed man stopped in his steps, looking a little unsettled the moment he set eyes on her, as if he already recognized her.

"Dahlia, this is Thor."

Though she felt a little weak in the legs, Dahlia stood up from her chair. Thor. She remembered the name. Why couldn't she make sense out of it?

As Thor accepted a handshake, his eyes cast to the necklace that had been earlier discussed.

"That symbol there," he nodded to it. "Do you know of its meaning?"

"No. I don't."

"It belonged to Freyja."

It was as if a little light had turned on in her head, though there were still many shadows cast by unseen objects. Freyja was the Goddess of love, lust, and healing. Dahlia was her daughter...

* * *

She served well as a healer, and though without much purpose, she aided S.H.I.E.L.D. when she could in that field. After some time, she was able to acquire her own house in Newburgh, New York. She still felt out of place, to say the least, but Thor aided her where he could, even came to visit her when she wasn't working.

Then, one night, about four months down the road, it hit her. In the middle of the night, it was like waking up from a nightmare - except that wasn't what it was at all. There was this feeling in the pit of her stomach - something that told her that she had woken up from a terrible memory.

The corpses of dozens of Valkyries were sprawled across Asgard. Dahlia had retreated to a cave close by as Hel struck down Agnethe. Her sister by blood... she had thrown herself in front of another Valkyrie, taking the Spear of Death and sacrificing herself.

At first, it was only fear that drove her deeper into the cavern. It was only until she realized that she was safe from Hel that the guilt finally hit her. That was when the Nightmares came. She had been a coward - instead of fighting to protect her sister and fellow warriors, she had fled to protect her own hide. She had truly believed that it was a battle that could not be won.

But was that really any good excuse for what she had done?


	2. Chapter 2

When her eyes opened in her revelation, Dahlia had no time to mourn. Something was in the house, but it wasn't Nightmares. It was something much stronger - possibly even much more sinister. As she bounded to the hallway, something grabbed her by the back of her tank top, throwing her back into the wall behind her. Suddenly, it was as if her body had taken over for her. A fist came towards her through the darkness, and in turn, she snatched it in the air to push it back. Quickly, Dahlia rolled out of the way of the next punch, keeping low to the ground. Yet, as the man attacking her came into the moonlit side of the hall, Dahlia found herself perplexed.

"Thor...? Why...?"

He gave no worded response, only yelled as he would throw another fist down towards her. He had become her friend for months now - or at the very least, an acquaintance she assumed she could count on. Why was he hellbent on killing her now? Had he, too, realized her betrayal?

His armor was too thick to break through without some sort of weapon. With swift reflexes, she dodged under his flying arm and bolted for the stairs. The kitchen would have knives she could use to fight back. He was right behind her as she grabbed a pair of large knives from the block on the counter. As a Valkyrie, her choice of dual weapons would have been much larger, but this was all she had, for now...

She spun around, swinging them at the god as he came at her. She would jump over the counter to avoid him as he, in turn, would grab a chef's knife to pursue to her. She kicked it out of his hand from her elevation, then swung one of the blades, striking him across the cheek.

Suddenly, Thor morphed.

In a flash of green contrast, he was no longer the God of Thunder, but a man with longer, black hair and green and gold, Asgardian attire.

Had her memories not flooded to her so fast, she might have realized who he really was before he showed his true self.

"Loki," she hissed. While she never truly knew the details of his feud with her mother, it came as no surprise that he might pursue her daughter and kill her. "Thor didn't mention his brother was earthbound, too."

"You don't even know the half of it," he would sneer at her, blood trickling from the fresh cut on his face. Before he could strike at her again, Dahlia drove her arm against his chest, pinning him into the counter.

"Why are you after me?" she demanded. At this, he only smirked.

"They said you brought the Mares from Asgard. The only way to get rid of the infestation is to kill the host."

He grunted as she pushed harder on his chest. "Are you sure this isn't a personal grudge?" she demanded. "You certainly don't seem the sort to want to protect a human realm."

Loki paused for a moment, and she realized his hesitation to answer her. Loki might have been the God of Mischief, but he seemed to have been on this realm for a lot longer than she was. She loosened her hold before she would pull away.

"How long have you been here, exactly?" she asked. Loki straightened, and he didn't seem exactly adamant on being clear.

"Longer than I would like, I can assure you."

"Loki!"

A voice boomed from the front door, and soon, Thor would come into the kitchen, hammer in hand. He gave his brother an agitated look. "She is not our enemy."

 _Our enemy?_ Were these two allies now? She never thought she would see the day when Loki and Thor weren't at each other's throats for one reason or another.

"I...must have missed something."

Thor had been the one to clarify the events of a lot of things, though Loki did butt in every once in a while when he seemed to feel the need to defend himself as to why he did this or that. She learned about their battle with the Dark Elves, the death of Odin and the bringing of Ragnarok. It was a lot to take in, and Dahlia found herself disappointed that she couldn't have been a part of that last, big battle. The only other Valkyrie that survived had come back to do something great, to help bring down Hel once and for all and help evacuate the Asgardians.

It only made Dahlia realize her own, pathetic self all the more.

* * *

It took time and an explanation from a man who called himself Doctor Strange for her to realize that Loki had been right. She had been the one to bring the Nightmares here, even if not intentionally, he had said. They would breed upon powerful, negative emotions such as guilt and chaotic confusion, of which she seemed to possess a lot of.

"Loki was wrong about one thing, though," Stephen explained as he walked about the room of his New York City sanctum.

"And what is that?" Thor asked. He was the one who had brought her here to get more information. It was strange, seeing him in mortal attire.

"Dahlia doesn't have to die to be rid of the Nightmares. We kill them, more keep coming. It's because a hidden chasm has been ripped, probably the same place where she came through."

For a moment, the valkyrie was silent. The Nightmares had followed her through a portal in the cave - one she had happened across by some, unhappy accident. It was shortly after that when Samantha had found and rescued her.

"So, we'll have to go back to Richmond," Dahlia deduced.

Doctor Strange wasn't going to hold their hands through this errand, but he at least told them what needed to be done. An artifact would first need to be found - a stone that was not any of the infinity stones, but nonetheless held great power to destroy and conjure portals when shattered. He specified there weren't many left, as people had taken advantage of them throughout the centuries after they mined them from a realm called Kuraiss. Far and few between, these green stones, called kuraiss emeralds, would not be easy to find.

He was led to believe that Odin may have had one in his possession before he died in Norway.

The plane ride with Thor was an uneasy one. While she felt she had befriended him at this point, Dahlia knew that revisiting his father's death place had to be difficult for him.

She had lost family, too, but perhaps it served her right to feel that loss. She had done nothing to stop it - only watched as her blonde sister fell to the ground, a spear piercing her shining, blood-stained shield.

She would take that secret to her grave, and that grave should have already been made for her and filled.

In hopes to find some distraction from her regret, she finally asked him the question that had been itching at her for weeks.

"Why did Loki really want me dead?"

Thor, who had been looking through the window beside him in silence, did so for a few moments longer before he would look at her, as if he was trying to figure it out for himself. "He and Freyja didn't get along very well," he confessed. "Their feud never made much sense to me," he said, "but he always accused her of...well...many lewd things: Vanity, and a great amount of promiscuity. He even accused her of sleeping with her brother."

She could only imagine. Her mother had been the goddess of lust, after all. "Oh..."

"Theft was on that list, too, but knowing my brother, he may have had a hand in setting her up." He shifted in his seat for a moment, seemingly uncomfortable. These chairs weren't exactly the most relaxing. "If I were to guess, I think he was just angry that he couldn't get his hands on her."

"That's a silly reason to hate someone," Dahlia muttered.

"Loki may have grown soft these past years, but he thrives on his pride. He always has."

"Well..." she began, then sighed. "I'm nothing like my mother."

He gave her a half-smile - one that suggested he knew this.

* * *

The cliffside provided a cool, ocean breeze that picked up the salty smell of the air. She had never seen the ocean before. It was quite beautiful, though solemn, knowing that this was where Odin took his last breaths. Thor was uncomfortably silent, but Dahlia tried not to disturb him, even as they sought the tall grass for this stone.

The thing was green. How on earth was she supposed to find it when it would most likely be camouflaged into the ground?

She resorted to crawling, muttering to herself about how ridiculous a task this must have been. Thor, while he also kept an eye out, seemed too distracted to really poke fun at her method.

However, as a glisten of light flashed against the sun's rays, Dahlia found herself scooting faster across the earth. She reached out to grab it only for her fingers to grab a boot that had suddenly appeared in its place - or actually, had stepped upon it before she could grab it. Blinking, Dahlia looked up. In alarm, she realized that Loki was standing over her, looking more or less amused that he had foiled her search.

"Looking for something?"

"Loki," Thor warned. "Let her have it."

As he reached down to grab it, it was all Dahlia could do not to just kick him in the face as he was leaning over. Yet, ever since she had learned that he and Thor were supposedly on the same team, she only felt obligated not to bash his face in.

Watching as he would hold the stone between his fingers (it was really no larger than a baseball), he analyzed it in curiosity. The bright green reflected on his face merely by the angled light of the sun. Then, suddenly, he tossed it to her. She caught it with both hands, her heart in a brief panic that if she dropped it, it might break, though she realized it was probably silly to assume it would.

"Doesn't it make you wonder why father didn't use it to return home?" he asked Thor.

That was actually a valid question, she supposed - one that none of them seemed to have an answer for.

* * *

Dahlia called Sam once they had gotten off the return flight in Richmond. She was somewhere in the airport, ready to take them both to the area where she had first found the deity. Dahlia herself couldn't recall the location - she had been far too disoriented at the time. Thankfully, Samantha had been more than willing to help, and she would drive the two of them to the river bank beneath the bridge - about twenty minutes away from the airport.

She was really kind of giddy about meeting Thor, too - though her husband had worked with him on a couple of occasions, she never had the pleasure of his company until now. For the first time in what felt like ages, Dahlia felt a strange warmth, and it was emanating from Sam as she sat behind the wheel. It took her a moment to realize what it really was, and in a way, it bothered her to know that her friend harbored some rather intimate thoughts about Thor, even if she was married.

Night had fallen by the time they reached the location, but perhaps that was best, as the stone was chemically designed to glow brighter as it came closer to an existing portal. Save for a doe that had quickly retreated to the woods upon their arrival, it was quiet. Dahlia held the stone, unsure of which direction to really start. She couldn't even be sure how long she had walked before she was found. How long was she even on earth before Sam came to her rescue?

She resorted to following the deer's tracks in the snow. Samantha, bundled in a heavy, pink coat, followed close behind Thor as he would follow Dahlia. The stone gave no response at first, but after passing through the first row of dead trees, she felt it pulse in her palm. They were getting closer, and the green light within the crystal was just barely noticeable, like a dying flicker.

She followed it like a broken compass at first. Then, as the light would grow brighter, it seemed a little easier to narrow down where the source of the power was. They were at the mouth of a cave, but she knew that she once she passed into it, somehow, she would no longer be earthbound. She had to be inside of it in order to shatter the stone and destroy the portal - to keep the Mares from breaking into the world.

"You two stay," she insisted to Thor and Samantha, but the God of Thunder was firmly shaking his head.

"It might be dangerous in there. You have nothing to defend yourself with."

"What about Sam?" Dahlia asked, looking at her friend. The woman gave her a smile.

"I'll wait here. I'll be okay. It's just cold, is all."

Dahlia was reluctant to leave her behind, but with Thor close behind, she let the cave's gaping chasm swallow her into the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

She heard the demonic screams before she could see much of anything - they were the same, mortifying sounds that chased her through the caves before. "It's them," Thor said, equally as aware as she was that the Nightmares knew they were no longer the only ones here. Asgard was nothing but ruin now - a perfect haven for creatures like these, and whatever other abominations may have been brought by Surtur. "We need to be quick."

Dahlia clutched the crystal in her hands before she would drop it to the ground. They were deep enough within the cavern now that this process could be done properly. Thor, whose hammer was at the ready to destroy it, would raise it high above his head before he would bring it down on the stone. What followed sounded like an explosion. The cave's walls shattered from within and protruded outwards, and a bright, green light followed to blind them both in a matter of only a few moments - just a few seconds, but enough to stir chaos in the Nightmares that survived the blast.

The eye-like fiends with tentacles flew into the sky like a flock of angry birds, then came back down towards them. Dahlia lifted herself from the snowy ground that had been solid rock just moments before. Still disoriented from the closing of the portal, she could only dizzily watch as Thor would try to fend them off. Sparks of lightning would take them down one by one, forcing the horde to separate into multiple directions. Then, suddenly, she realized that some of them were aiming their line of flight towards one that could not fight back, and it most certainly wasn't herself.

 _"SAM!"_ Dahlia screamed, the syllable escaping into a near-vomit.

But it was too late.

* * *

It wasn't as if no one ever died or got hurt in this world of harsh truths, but watching Samantha fall to the ground that night left Dahlia speechless for days.

What more, she didn't even die. Instead, when they rushed her to the hospital, and she took a week to recover from her injuries and the loss of blood, Sam refused to talk to her. She could see the anger - even feel it like a thousand, tiny needles jabbing her in the chest. As if it was her fault - and maybe it was.

Why not? She had been perfectly capable of letting people get hurt in the past, and not doing anything about it.

Thor had been stubborn. He kept insisting that Dahlia had done nothing, but that was just it, wasn't it? She did _nothing_.

It was a wonder why S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't booted her then and there, but in reality, they had never expected her to be a warrior when they first took her in. She was a healer, and even when she tried to use that good trait to help Sam even then, she wasn't wanted. Let the hospital take care of her.

As she retreated to the topmost level of parking garage, Dahlia was lost as to what to do now. Samantha had become like a best friend to her - the first person in this mortal realm that she had encountered. She had been so good to her.

We didn't know how bad things were going to get.

 _Yeah, but you could have taken better precautions._

She volunteered to do this.

 _You let her get in harm's way._

I tried...

 _You didn't try hard enough._

It was all my fault.

She landed on the ground, looking up at the night sky above her as she tried to wrap her mind around her flux of emotions. She knew that this feeling of remorse was exactly what had set this entire trainwreck in motion, but how could one learn to simply not feel anything?

"So, it appears that didn't go over so well."

She didn't need to turn around to know who it was mocking her. She supposed she couldn't be too surprised that the God of Mischief might take great satisfaction in her failures.

"Go away," she growled. She dangled her feet over the edge of the rooftop. It was a long way down - starting a feud here might not be the best idea.

However, to her surprise, he didn't. Loki simply stepped up onto the ledge, his hands folded behind him as he looked straight ahead. "You should know... it wasn't _all_ your fault."

"You weren't there," she retorted sourly. "What do you know about it?"

His reply didn't come right away, and for a moment, Dahlia was genuinely curious as to what he was going to say.

"I suppose I don't," he said, hardly moving. Feeling like he was only present to waste her time, and certainly not to help comfort her, she grumbled, throwing a small rock at him that happened to be laying near her. It passed right through him. Why it bothered her that he couldn't even physically be here to give her a hard time, she couldn't exactly explain. She just wanted to be left alone - once she made that clear, Loki vanished.

She was left to her thoughts, and it was then that she began to realize she wished she wasn't. She needed a distraction - something to tear her away from her waves of guilt and the grief of losing such a good friend. After all, it was these emotions that the Nightmares tended to thrive upon, and they were still out there. If there was anything she could do to make things right, it was to help destroy the rest of them. While Thor may have done damage to a great deal of them, they weren't completely out of the woods yet.

No. She wasn't completely out of the woods yet.

This was her mess to clean up, not Thor's.

After talking to a couple of people within the organization, as well as Fury (who may have given her an earful, but was at least accommodating), she managed to find someone who could help her locate the remaining Nightmares. It took a while for her help to find some free time to see her, but once he did, Tony Stark gave her the device she would need - a radar of sorts that gave explicit details as to the location of her target. She was instructed that she would have to find a spot of DNA - a weird name for 'a piece of it' to insert into the device. From there, it would do the rest of the work once hooked up to a USB port of a computer.

Thankfully, she had learned the basics of how to use one of those, even though she needed some guidance over the phone in order to go through it step by step. She imagined the notorious Tony Stark was far too busy to pay her a visit just to help her get accustomed to technology. Once she learned that the updated device would use a radar to show her how to locate the Nightmares, coordinating with GPS on her phone, she made sure to get a good night's sleep.

The next morning, she woke up to a text message - one from a number she didn't recognize.

It gave her an address - one in Norfolk, but there was nothing else - nothing to indicate who it might be that was trying to lure her there.

While S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't provided her with any weapons (she didn't anticipate that they would, either), she had been given a couple of dual daggers to get her by. Hunting hadn't exactly been easy. In fact, she was only successful in finding a pair of Nightmares further down in Hampton. These things could be anywhere on earth by now, and though she was certain there were others in the world that might be just as able to help take them down, the thought of anyone helping her to clean her own mess was humiliating.

Around thee o'clock, she happened across the text again. She really wasn't far from that location - perhaps a thirty-minute drive. She drove further south, though the rush-hour traffic she had to fight on her way was absolutely atrocious. She couldn't possibly fathom how mortals dealt with this every day.

Music helped maintain a little of her patience - during her time here, while experimenting with the different genres, she came to enjoy metal. The chaos of the sound reflected her own, inner feelings.

As she finally arrived at the location, which appeared to be a Pawn Shop, she felt quite out of place. She was the only girl here in this place, surrounded by dangerous-looking people that she was pretty sure didn't work for S.H.I.E.L.D. She felt tense as she looked around - the place also seemed to be a gun shop, but as a man approached her, he seemed pleasant in doing so.

"Dahlia, right?" he said, offering his hand to shake. "I'm David. A friend told me you might drop by."

"A friend...?" she asked suspiciously. She wondered if this friend might be the same person who sent her the message.

"He made me promise not to tell. I have something of yours. Come on."

David, a heavy-set, middle-aged man with a beard and long, dark hair, led her to a hallway that seemed to be off-limits to the customers. He used a key on his chain to unlock a side door, one that would lead into a dark room before he flipped the light switch on.

She stood by the door, watching as the man took a moment to locate a large box in the corner of the room. It sat with other boxes of various sizes, and instantly, Dahlia wondered what this stranger might have that belonged to her, or how he would have even gotten it.

Then, as he set it on a nearby desk, he waved his hand to usher her into the room. "Same guy brought these in - got a pretty penny for it, but he told me he owed me one if I returned them to you." She stood close by as he would open the brown box, and the contents inside instantly struck a chord. She tensed, staring at a pair of shiny sickles that looked as if they had hardly been touched. On the leather-wrapped handles, there was a symbol stamped into them - the same one that matched the pendant hanging around her neck.

They were her weapons of choice as a Valkyrie - considering the intricate design carves into the blades, there was no way they could be duplicated. They held a lot of memories, some much less fonder than others.

Carefully, he would hand the box to her. "Probably should keep them in there. Don't want to flash them around and make my clients think I'm selling blades now," he said with a smile.

As Dahlia left in her vehicle, the box sitting in the passenger's seat, her mind was a thunderstorm. While it was a relief to be reunited with her blades, the memory of her final moments on Asgard left a sour taste in her mouth. She had crawled away without them when she abandoned her warriors and her sister behind.

 _I don't deserve to have them,_ she thought to herself. Instead of continuing down the highway, she made her way towards Yorktown. There was a beach there where she could be rid of them once and for all.


	4. Chapter 4

As the rain began to fall heavily, beach-goers were fleeing from the sands and the growing waves. A flash storm was coming, chasing everyone inland. Perhaps it was the best time to this, where no one could be there to witness it. She carried the beach as far from the bridge as she could manage, walking a good ways before she felt comfortable enough to take the weapons from their confinement. The sand was more and more packed down by falling water beneath her boots, and as she held the sickles in her hands, she swung them in oscillations between her fingers.

Her skills hadn't faltered, at least, but that didn't mean she intended to keep them, no matter how _whole_ it seemed to make her feel.

Somehow, the dire desperation to part with her blades faded like a faint scent in the breeze. It was like being reunited with family. Again, she would twirl them, faster this time. Then, she would turn on her heels, kicking up the sand as she would slash at the air. There was nothing there, and of course, she knew it, but there was something satisfying about going through the motions.

Imagining as if a Nightmare floated before her, she sliced at an invisible target, her feet carrying her across the sand like a chasing coyote. Suddenly, she turned around, sand flying about her ankles as her sickle hooked around a fisted dagger that was coming at her face.

"I should have known you couldn't stay away," she sneered. Once again, it seemed as though Loki had followed her when she needed some alone time. He, however, seemed to have notice the symbol on the grips of her weapons. As she swiped at him, he would grab her arm, yanking it towards him and turning it to face her wrist upward. Upon it was the faint scar where her mark should have been.

"Another Valkyrie," he said, but he didn't release her arm. In fact, she was certain his grip had tightened on her wrist. "I was surprised when I met one a couple of months ago. I imagined they were all dead, at the time."

"You imagined wrong," she scowled, and she would swing her freed arm, though her sickle would only slice through air. He reared back, and faster than she could keep up, the mischievous deity shoved her face-first into the nearest wall of rock.

"What other secrets are you trying to hide?"

"No more than you, I'm sure," she hissed, struggling to push him off. "Now, let go of me."

To her surprise, he did, stepping away from the giant stone, though he still firmly gripped his daggers. It was clear that their feud wasn't exactly a fight to the death - Loki seemed to take far too much pleasure in dueling with her to put a permanent end to it.

In a way, she kind of felt the same way. She was feeling that rush of adrenaline as an after effect.

It was really kind of weird.

"Why do you keep following me?" Dahlia demanded, brushing her platinum hair from her face.

"Why, to ensure that you and your friends got reaquainted without dilemma."

She eyed him suspiciously, neither of them really phased by the heavy rain and gusts. "You're the one that led me to the shop, aren't you?"

He smirked at her, only to be forced to dodge back as she swiped at him once again. Took that grin off his face, at least. She needed to give him another scar to replace the one that she had healed, apparently.

"Now, wait a minute!' he insisted, and though Dahlia didn't want to, she stopped, the inner curve of her blade merely an inch from his cheek. "Thor even said it. I'm not your enemy."

"No," she said sternly. "I'm not _your_ enemy, though unless you tell me why you set this up, that might change pretty quickly."

"I only wanted to help." Slowly, he sheathed his daggers, putting his hands up and in plain view. "I might never have seen eye to eye with Freyja, but we are still of the same kin as Asgardians."

Dahlia, who was still highly untrusting of Loki, stayed on her guard. "You've been spending too much time with these humans, haven't you?"

He frowned at her. "Please, don't rub it in."

In the grand scheme of things, she was certain there was still more to the story than Loki was letting on. He had a goal, even if it wasn't obvious just yet.

The next couple of days had Dahlia torn between her designated job and her side job. It seemed that a couple of agents had gotten injured on the clock, and she took care of their wounds within the span of a couple of hours.

After that, she tracked down a couple of Nightmares in Manhattan that had been terrorizing a giant, hotel building. They were apparently drawn to something, a swarm of five lured in like moths to a flame.

She didn't take the time to question it, only knew that something had to be done about it. With her blades in hand, as Dahlia had decided to keep them after all, she hurried into the hotel lobby as she saw them break into a window on the fourth floor.

She took the stairs, following them to Room 413. She heard the ruckus and screaming on the other side of the door. It was locked, forcing her to kick it down on order to get in.

The first thing she noticed was a man bleeding on the bed, his wrists pouring crimson onto the white sheets. He seemed to be in a panic, screaming something about changing his mind, saying he didn't want to die, and that he had made a mistake.

She would put an end to the Mares, but not without causing absolute destruction to the hotel room. Furniture was left upturned and slashed, and the walls were streaked with blood and green slime.

The resident in the room, who seemed to be the only one there, was sobbing quietly by the time she got to him. He had tried to kill himself, and the thoughts of agony and depression seemed to be what attracted the Nightmares.

She was quick to heal him, but the inner pain was beyond her help. He would still need to seek mental help,

She had done some good, at least. Yet, seeing these mortals succumb to their emotions to such a degree... Would these people truly choose to die just because something hadn't turned out right for them?

It left Dahlia in a whirlwind of emotions throughout the rest of the day.

She stood on the oceanfront - the same of which she had almost disposed of The Viper Blades. They were put in a safe place for now. In her hands, however, she held the chain and necklace that she hadn't taken off at all during these months - not until now.

It was dark out - well past curfew for people to be visiting the beach. Still, it was quiet, but somehow, she knew it would not last for very long.

"We meet again."

She still gazed upon the waves, the moon glistening on the water. Yet, behind her, she knew someone was watching her.

"You certainly are a creature of brooding mystery," Loki's voice sounded behind her. "Tell me of your woes."

Dahlia didn't know why it was so tempting to just open up to him. She hadn't even spoken about the battle with Thor. Loki's brother was probably a better listener, but she had to settle with the mischievous sibling.

"I wasn't there to save my sister. I watched Hela impale her, because she gave her life to save another."

Even admitting it out loud left the taste of dust in her mouth. Agnethe died on her own accord, to save a fellow warrior, yet, she never showed the slightest indication that she might do the same for Dahlia. In fact, Agnethe had been quite cruel as an older sister. She was a bully, and if anything ever went wrong, she always would blame it on Dahlia.

And Dahlia, though she was almost the splitting image of her beautiful, dead sister, was derelict.

In all reality, why did it matter?

But it did, because family mattered more than anything in this world, and she had none left.

It was silent. She had been ready to think Loki had vanished until he finally spoke up again.

"You weren't in the right place at the right time - that doesn't mean you brought about your sister's end."

"Why do you care?" she demanded, turning to look at him. "It's not as if you've had a particularly great streak of showing sympathy.l, especially when it comes to family."

Loki shrugged almost too casually. "You're not wrong."

Her knuckles whitened around tightening fists. "Good. Then, leave me alone."

But the God of Mischief remained still, standing on the hill, almost as if he was hesitant. Dahlia didn't care what made him hesitate - only that she wanted to be left alone.

"LEAVE!" she screamed. Before she could stop herself, she turned, throwing the amulet at him, only to watch it pass right through him.

It shouldn't have surprised her that his image was merely an illusion. He accommodated this time, leaving the valkyrie to her thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

Another week had passed. There was only one day in which Dahlia had time to hunt Nightmares. She had to give a statement to the police about the incident at the hotel. An agent from S.H.I.E.L.D. had also given a very similar statement - one that did nothing to contradict her story, and so, after several hours, she was finally let go.

Thor had offered assistance on more than one occasion, to help her take the rest of the creatures down, but she had already insisted before that she didn't want to drag him into the disaster she had created.

By the weekend, Dahlia was mentally and physically drained. She couldn't find the motivation to see her own mission to its completion.

She had tried calling Sam on a number of occasions, all of which ended in voicemails or nothing at all. It was still an extreme slap in the face - one she supposed she deserved.

No matter how many people she tried to save, she always fell short somewhere.

She stood on the back balcony from her room, overlooking the lake beyond the back yard. Since she had gotten comfortable, she would get the occasional visit from stray felines. Once she started feeding them, their appearances became more and more frequent. They were the only company she received nowadays.

Living in a secluded home like this was always nice, but being away from the city and the lights made her realize just how alone she really was.

Once again, as she held her necklace in her hand, she knew she was only but so alone after some time. The voice that stirred startled the two cats away from the balcony.

"If you're waiting for some sort of thanks, you're not getting it," she said sourly.

He was behind her, standing in the bedroom and apparently looking at her array of paintings on the wall - all of which had been here before her, really.

"Oh, no, it's not that." Loki, who had his hands folded behind his back, turned to look at her with genuine curiosity. With his dark, Asgardian clothes of black and emerald, he practically blended in with the darkness of the room. "I've just been noticing how secluded you are from this world. Even Thor has shown concern."

"Thor knows I'm fine. Neither of you have anything to worry about." Her voice was relatively sarcastic.

"But we do," Loki corrected, stepping forward yo the balcony door. "The Nightmares will continue to spread as long as you keep this self-hatred within you. You need help."

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?"

He opened his mouth, but Dahlia went on before he could speak.

"Give me one good reason why I should trust you, the God of Mischief, of all people." Dahlia scoffed, her smile more sarcastic. "You're probably not even here." As if to prove her point, she threw the amulet at him.

Loki raised his hand, and for a moment, it might have felt as if time had stopped as it fell into his fingers.

"I am here."

There was a pause, and she didn't know what to feel - what to think. Then, as he came closer, his next words made her realize her worst fear...

"You don't have to do this on your own. Allow someone to help you with this burden."

...She wanted him to be here. She wanted him to...

No. He was far too close for comfort. So, why wasn't she pushing him away? Why was he coming in even closer?

His hand was on the side of her neck now, his thumb brushed along her cheek. He wanted the same thing she did; it was so painfully evident now, so why was she so scared?

She could feel his breath on her lips, and between one heartbeat and another, she surrendered to the kiss. Dahlia closed her eyes. For once, she was able to put all the guilt and the pain in the past. She could confide in someone. She could trust him...

But she really _couldn't_ trust him.

It took all of her strength to pull back. "No..." she whispered, and she was almost surprised to see Loki's pained expression looking back at her. Then again, that could have been an act, too. "I can't..."

Once he dropped the necklace, he seized her wrist - not necessarily with force, but more with...desperation. He didn't say anything, but she knew he didn't want her to make him leave.

A small part of her felt the same way.

Then, to her surprise, his lips grazed the burn mark on her wrist. Her body gave a shudder, which she wished she would have been able to suppress. "Loki." She whispered, her breath slightly shortened. He didn't respond - at least, not vocally. Instead, he pulled her closer in, his other hand moving to the back of her head now.

She had anticipated aggression - it was all she had known so far, so why would now be any different? Yet, his mouth waited for her this time, just a couple of inches from hers. Dahlia gave in, unsure whether or not it was simply her nature as a demigod that led her to do it.

She sounded a soft moan against the kiss, her body molding into his as she surrendered. At this moment in time, she was free of her pain. She was at peace, even with flames of desire licking at her skin.

Her fingers found his black hair, tugging at the locks as the kiss grew hotter. She knew she could stop at any time, but at this point, there was no fiber in her being that wanted to. She just wanted to feel something else for a change.

She pulled Loki back into the bedroom, her hands working at the leather covering his torso. His fingers slid beneath the fabric of her robe, brushing her shoulders to remove the ivory and black silk. Bit by bit, pieces of clothes pooled on the floor, a trail leading from the balcony towards the bed as he would firmly lay her down.

Dahlia felt oddly helpless beneath him, naked and vulnerable, and yet, on a greater plane than that of Valhalla. Now that she thought about it, it had been many decades since she last succumbed to the pleasures of the flesh.

The winter air that pierced through the open door from the balcony caused her nipples to harden, and as if he had noticed, Loki took upon warming one of them with his mouth. Then, he moved to the other.

She gasped, her body flinching up into an arch from the mattress. Yet, Dahlia was not one to simply lay down and let a man just take her, no matter if he was a god or not.

Shifting all of her weight to one side, she forced him onto his back, pinning him beneath her weight. His hands grazed her bare thighs, and he stared up at her, as if challenging her to keep going with whatever she had planned.

And that plan, she realized, was going to have to change.

She knew this was the most immoral thing she could be doing right now. Loki was nothing but trouble - an orphaned bastard of Odin that may as well have been the cause of his adoptive father's death. Anything he ever did was for his own gain, and even attempting to seduce a Valkyrie could be no different.

Whether it was strictly for his pleasure, or if there was something more sinister planned, she couldn't be sure, but she wasn't about to wait around to find out the consequences.

She chose her next move carefully. Her body would shift against his, and she sounded a moan. Beneath her, so did Loki. Beneath his pants, he was harder than steel. Her black underwear was soaked. If there was any greater challenge in the world than protecting Asgard, it was fighting her lust at this very moment.

The ribbon of her removed robe still laid on the sheets close by. She grabbed it in an instant, rapidly using it to tie his hands. She would summon one of her twin blades, securing the silk ribbon to its hilt before embedding it into the headboard.

He wouldn't be going anywhere.

"Tricky," he said with a disappointed look. He gave a tug on the binding. "I almost won you over."

Climbing off of him, though it hadn't been easy, Dahlia regained her composure. She behaved much calmer than she really felt within. "Almost doesn't count," she said. "Besides, I understand you enough to know you're up to something."

"How would this benefit me?" he asked, lifting his head slightly. "Aside from the obvious, of course..."

She wanted to slap that amused grin off of his face.

"How would I know?" she scoffed, grabbing for her cell phone. "I just know better than to trust you." She would dial Thor's number to inform him of the situation, that Loki needed to be under close watch, but it went to voicemail.

"Thor, your brother is causing trouble again. I suggest you come collect him at my house before I finish him."

She hung up the phone, setting down the device on the table before she would turn around to collect her robe. Just as she straightened, however, she turned to see he was no longer on the bed. Suddenly, she was shoved down into the mattress, her cheek pushed against the sheets.

"Go on, then," Loki's breath fanned against her neck. "Finish it." She tried to push her hands against the bed to force him off, but as fingers pressed against her sex, she cried out in uncontrollable delight.

 _Damnit_. That wasn't supposed to happen.

"We still have time."

He forced her to roll over, and before she could stop him, her legs were forced to spread and reveal their secrets to him - that they hid her true desires, no matter how much she tried to fight them.

Yet, just as his hand had rediscovered her center, it was taken away in an instant.

"It appears my brother received your message after all..." Her chin was entrapped between his fingers for a moment. "We'll have to continue this some other time."

Loki was off of the bed in the blink of an eye. He seemed smug enough, as if he had gained the upper hand in all of this. Dahlia growled irritably, watching as he casually pulled his clothes back over his toned torso.

The Valkyrie sat up in alarm, her platinum hair a bustling mess about a face of disbelief. She knew this meant that the God of Thunder was on his way, but Loki had already disappeared by the time she realized this.

"Shit!"

Quickly, she pulled her robe on, heavily breathing as she gathered herself together. She heard the door open from downstairs, and as she came down the steps, she heard Thor's voice bellow from below.

"Dahlia? Loki?"

"He's already gotten away," she huffed, crossing her arms against her gut.

"What has he done now?" he demanded, as if he was asking about a trouble-making child.

"He..." Dahlia inhaled, really not wanting to surrender too many details. "He came in unannounced." Thor, however, could not be fooled.

"What did he do?"

 _It's not like I can't take care of myself,_ she thought bitterly. She was tempted to just send him away. After all, she hadn't anticipated that Loki would escape his restraints so easily.

"I think he was...trying to seduce me..."

That was kind of bullshit, but there was no way she was about to tell Thor that she had been going along with it up until her reasoning kicked in.

He gave her a dumbfounded look, then, to her surprise, he started to laugh. "Is that all?"

Dahlia couldn't believe he was taking this so lightly. "What?" she insisted. "He's got to be up to something, right?"

"Perhaps, but...as predictable as my brother has been as of late, I can't imagine what. He probably just admires you. A lot."

Dahlia scoffed. Maybe she was overexaggerating her act of disgust. "I don't trust him."

"Good, because I don't either." He smiled. "I will speak with him. If he comes back, let me know."


	6. Chapter 6

A few days passed, with no sign of Loki having returned to the house. These days at least kept her hands busy, thanks to her continuous, _nurse work_ at S.H.I.E.L.D.

When it wasn't her curative skills they needed, they would borrow her for other tasks - a search for a person or object of interest - someone or something potentially dangerous, or even of use to the business. She learned that there was still a lot she didn't know about the company she was working for, but wasn't ready to ask a load of questions. She would simply go with the flow of things, do what she was told, and then go home at the end of the day.

Each night, the cats would wait for her to serve dinner. She had never owned cats before - at least, she couldn't recall ever owning cats in Asgard. There were six that came to visit, some newer than others.

She was certain she had been spending more money on cat food for strays than she was spending on food for her own self!

Tonight was New Year's Eve. Nothing special for Asgardians, really, but since she was here, she might as well pretend that a new year on Earth meant something. It was freezing cold outside, however, being what she was allowed her at least some immunity to the cold. Fireworks were going off as midnight came, and from the bank of the lake was a perfect view. She had never seen such a show. It was beautiful, full of colorful sparks and loud noises, though they seemed to keep the cats in hiding. They wanted no parts of whatever was making all that loud noise.

Dahlia stood and watched in awe, a cup of hot cocoa in her hands to help keep her warm. Being earthbound certainly had its benefits.

The explosive display went on for longer than she expected it to. It hadn't even finished when she felt something wrap around her ankle. At first, she thought one of the cats had come out of hiding - however, what had snagged her was serpentine and attached to something in the water. Before she could even react, she was already being pulled in.

The water felt icy to the point that her body instantly began to hurt from it. Without even a chance to catch her breath, Dahlia's lungs felt tight as she tried to struggle out of whatever had snagged her. It was too dark to see anything, and so she used her hands to try and pry off the appendage around her ankle. Another limb grabbed her other foot, pulling her further down from the surface. She tried to calm herself, and though her heart raced like the hooves of a running horse, she concentrated on summoning her blades. The sickles would suddenly shoot through the top of the lake, slicing through both of the binds to release her. She thought she heard a sort of inhuman scream pierce the lake as she resurfaced, and soon after she climbed her way out, a gigantic shape emerged from the water, blocking the view of the fireworks.

"Uh oh..." she muttered. Holding out her hands to snatch her flying scythes, she stared up at five heads, each of which seemed to be a snake, but appeared to be attached to a single body.

Asgard had seen its share of monsters, and even the Valkyrie took on a good deal of large beasts - but not commonly did they fight as a lone warrior, especially against something so great.

One of the heads came down, seething and hissing as its fangs bared at her., and she was pretty sure that was venom dripping from its cavernous mouth.

Dahlia would swing with her right blade, then her left. Neither of them landed, considering the hydra moved faster than she could keep up. Again, another head would lunge at her, and this time, the blade struck. A louder, pained hiss filled the air, seeming to blend with the sounds of growling and the distant fireworks. While she had the advantage, the Valkyrie jumped from the ground, her body lifting higher from the ground than any, mere human could. The blade would latch onto the injured serpent, ready to take it down before she would leap to the second head.

Yet, just as she did a number on it, another came in to rip her away with a terrifying snarl. A horrible pain filled her leg, as if a dagger had penetrated it down to the bone. Dahlia cried out in pain, her body restricted in the jaws of the serpent until it would throw her to the ground.

The landing only worsened the pain. With the sickle still embedded in the beast, she could barely even lift herself to call it.

Suddenly, the hydra let out a strange, blood-curdling scream. She couldn't see at first what was happening, her vision was blurring fast, but against the darkness, she thought she saw a rapid flash of green.

Loki...

The pain was too much to keep her rooting for him. Yet, through her hazed eyes, she saw the beast eventually fall into the water, the lake finally stilling after a long struggle.

She thought she had only closed her eyes for a minute. Yet, when she opened them again, she found herself laying on the couch of the living room, a fire roaring to give it light and warmth. There was a blanket over her, and against the back of her calves was one of the cats that came to frequently visit - one she had named Bo. He was the first cat that came her way, and the one that came every night for dinner, more religious than a good Christian going to church every Sunday.

Dahlia smiled faintly, careful not to disturb the feline as she pulled back the blanket from her leg. The bite wound seemed to have been managed with anti-venom and bandaging. Save for some blood on the gauze, the bite looked clean.

Had Loki done this?

The flesh around the gash was still a bit sore, especially when she tried to move, but she got to her feet with care. Wherever her aid had gone to, he didn't seem to be in the house any more. She limped towards the bathroom, her body feeling heavy and damp from her clothes. Putting pressure on her leg only seemed to stimulate the blood flow, even with the bandage, so she tried to use any horizontal surface that she could as a crutch.

Once the hot water began running in the bathtub, Dahlia cautiously removed her clothes. All she needed was a spell on the bathwater to be rid of this bite completely. Thankfully, someone had helped rid her of the potent poison already.

She mumbled a few words, then waved her hand over the bubbly basin in two, full circles. Once she climbed in, she sank into the foam, warmth and comfort washing over her. She closed her eyes, using her hands to wash the excess blood off of her leg.

There wasn't much, hardly even enough to tint the bathwater, but her hand was soon quick to wander as the wound would heal itself. She stopped just as quickly as she had started; her fingers fell short between her legs, and she cleared her throat before resorting to cleaning the rest of her body.

The water had cooled a great deal by the time she finally got out of the tub. She retrieved a fresh towel to wrap around herself, then went up to the bedroom. All of the lights in the house were shut off by now, and the world seemed silent.

Going to the balcony outside of her room, Dahlia filled up two bowls with cat food. As she waited for them to come, she would pick out a change of clothes. As the towel dropped to the floor, she would give her leg one more examination. By now, there was nothing more than a small scar - one that would disappear over time.

She heard a mewl behind her coming from the balcony. To her surprise, the black cat that sat by the closed door seemed to want in, but it wasn't Bo. In fact, this was a new face.

After hurriedly pulling a robe over herself, Dahlia went to the glass door to open it up, letting the feline inside. "Pretty cold out there, huh?" she asked him. Again, the cat meowed, rubbing his body along her leg and looking up at her with bright, green eyes.

For a moment, Dahlia paused. She took a moment to discard the damp towel into the basket with the rest of her dirty clothes. "It's been a really long night. If every New Year's Eve is like this on earth, we might not be alive for very much longer."

She smiled faintly, then added, "Don't you think so, Loki?"

As she turned around, the God of Mischief stood in the room where the cat had been. Dahlia couldn't be fooled. Not this time.

"Couldn't stay away, could you?"

"Just as it seems you can't stay out of trouble," he replied, taking a casual step forward. He was still quite bold, showing up here...

But he did save her life.

"Seems we have that in common," Dahlia said, taking in a short breath through her lips. She knew she should have been prepared for their closeness, but somehow, she was still thrown off her guard.

"It's good to see you managed to heal," he said.

...Was he stalling?

"Mhmm," Dahlia hummed, shifting slightly.

He was most definitely stalling.

"Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to do this."

Her instincts accelerated faster than she could anchor them. Her hands pushed firmly against his chest, and once she had him pinned between herself and the wall, she claimed his lips in a hot kiss. Loki seemed to melt into her, both of them intoxicated by the sudden shroud of lust in the room. She wasn't sure what had come over her - only that she regretted not listening to her body before.

Then, to her surprise, he gained control to push her against the wall - a very familiar situation that she wouldn't be in a hurry to get out of this time. She felt his hand pull at her thigh, guiding her leg to hook around his hip. A moan sounded in the depths of her throat as their bodies collided, the feeling leaving her both weakened and yet, all the more energetic.

"You're not going to hold me hostage this time?" he inquired, his breath tickling her mouth. She bit her lip, ignoring the reasoning she had been trying to listen to just a few days ago.

"No," she whispered, and as if to make sure she wouldn't change her mind, he took her waist, grinding into her and pushing her harder into the barrier.

"I won't say it wasn't fun, but I've never been great with being held down."

Dahlia gasped, her fingers clutching at his shoulders. Her muscles tightened, desperate for a release. "Gods, just do it..." she pleaded.

He seemed amused, and as his fist curled about her white-blonde hair, he yanked slightly, forcing back her head. "There's only one god you should be addressing right now."

She grinned slightly through parted lips, though inside, she was trembling with anticipation. "Is this going to be a war for supremacy?" she asked.

"Perhaps," he replied, his lips brushing along her neck. "I do love a good fight. Gets the adrenaline rushing..."

She couldn't say she disagreed. As a Valkyrie, she was born a warrior, and sometimes she enjoyed it more than she probably should. Of course, this was only fun - but still potentially dangerous.

All the better.

Her hand went for his wrist - the same whose hand was still wrapped in her locks. He didn't let go. Not at first - up until her knee would slam his leg in order to knock him off of his feet. She had him where she wanted him once he landed on his kneecap, giving her a look of determination that suggested he would not go down easily. Loki yanked her down by her arm, her back slamming into the ground and unable to get back up once his body pinned her into the carpet. By now, her robe had fallen open through the brief brawl, her breasts protruding the cool air. His hands felt good on her flesh - warm and sensual as they explored her chest. Then, he used one hand to unfasten himself. Though it was dark enough in the room to make it difficult to see, she knew he had to be gifted down below.

After all, he was the son of the Frost Giant King.

Driven by one, final push of persistence, Dahlia took this moment to reclaim her domination, thrusting all of her weight to push him onto his back. In one, fell swoop, she mounted him, her body sinking down on his as it was all but impaled. A long drone of pleasure emanated from her throat, and once her thighs pressed down on his, her body gave a tremble. She could only think to take a moment to savor how blissful it felt. Admittedly, she had been craving Loki for days, though she wouldn't have said it out loud. She did, however, imagine that it would have happened sooner or later.

And she was glad it did.

Her thoughts were interrupted as he pushed upward into her, raising her from the ground slightly. Again, Dahlia moaned with him, her hands tearing to remove every scrap of leather from his torso as she rode the waves. Each time he would push up into her. it was as if she could feel her heart launching itself upward towards her throat. Then, like a beast who had caught onto the smell of blood, she pushed him into the ground with ferocious strength, almost seeming to stun Loki as she reclaimed dominion over him.

In turn, he shredded away the silk that covered her, discarding it to some dark corner of the room to be forgotten until the rise of the sun.

Their exchange lasted almost just as long - several hours of pure, feral lust keeping them in consistent fervor from the floor to the bed. She had counted four orgasms before he finally imbued her with his own, pinning her into the mattress as if he was going in for the kill.

The entire encounter had taken a lot out of her. Her body was limp beneath him, and before she could stop herself, she had fallen asleep to kisses on her shoulder.

It came as no real surprise that when her eyes reopened, there was no trace of Loki in the room.


	7. Chapter 7

The following day had made concentration to be quite a difficult task. Whenever something demanded her attention, Dahlia was torn between exhaustion and daydreaming. On one occasion, while aiding a couple of agents on a search for a woman named Jennifer Walters (though she had missed why the woman might be important), she thought she had seen Loki walking the streets of New York in an all-black suit. However, by second glance, it was just some stranger that seemed to be crossing the street to get to work. By the time she was heading home (which was just a little earlier than scheduled), she felt completely drained. Though no one had really made mention of it, it was obvious that she hadn't gotten much of any sleep.

She would feed the cats, but this time, she was too tired to bother feeding herself. She had crashed hard on the couch - no lights, no television. She was just out.

That was, until the cats started calling.

It was like a head-splitting siren. She had never heard anything quite like it, though they seemed to be irate about something. They sounded from the balcony upstairs, and as she went to investigate, her mouth dropped slightly. She watched all six of them as they sat on the balcony - a couple of them perched on the chair - meowing at a red-tinted sky. As she came to the sliding door to get a better look, she spotted what appeared to be like a storm in the distance - a hurricane, only there was no rain. Out in the distance, it was like a vortex of clouds and thunder.

It was no ordinary storm, and as such, it was something worth checking out.

Dahlia left the whining felines behind, and though she could hear them a good ways past the house, she was persistent about finding put what this thing was, and what caused it. She drove down the road, and as she did, she could see black shadows drifting towards the cyclone.

Her heart lurched for a moment.

 _Nightmares_.

Whatever this thing was, it was luring dozens of them to its center, and they seemed to be riding it in a continuous circle.

The car was in motion for about ten minutes before she found a place to pull off the freeway in order to get closer. Out here, the winds were significantly heavier. Leaves and small debris were blowing in all directions, as if a tornado was tearing its way through the city. Yet, despite the dangers, seeing the Nightmares all gathered in one place was an opportunity she couldn't pass off.

It was time to start slicing down their numbers.

They didn't even seem to notice her, however, even as she climbed out of the vehicle. She hadn't much of a clue how she might be able to get to them - if she got too close to the cyclone, there was no telling what it might do.

Dahlia did the only thing she could think to do. She summoned one of her blades, throwing it with precision into the storm. There was a small flash of red, no doubt it was blood, and she was certain she had hit at least one of the monsters.

Then suddenly, the swirl of the crimson clouds seemed to slow down in response. Dahlia watched as the others retreated into the eye of the storm, and suddenly, the clouds began to descend, much like the tail of a tornado.

 _Shit_...

As she summoned back her weapon, she watched as a figure appeared just as the black shroud would touch the ground and then dissipate. She took a cautious step back.

The monster that appeared before her - she had never seen anything like it, and she was beginning to think it wasn't native to earth, either. It was mostly white, like some albino alien that could barely be considered humanoid, regardless that it had two arms and two legs. Along its body were gashes of red blood, as if someone had tactfully sliced it with a precise razor. Wisps of white emanated from it with a fire-like effect, and it possessed claws like a great wolf.

And its face... it was like something that came out of one of those horror films. Its mouth seemed abnormally small at first, but as it would let out a monstrous, shrill scream, the orifice opened vertically, exposing numerous rows of teeth, like a leech. The nightmarish abnormality charged at her, its long legs carrying it across the grassy plain faster than Dahlia had anticipated.

This time, both blades were sent out to attack, one of them striking it across the arm as the other was barely dodged. However, it didn't seem to do much to damage it. Dahlia panicked for a moment, then launched herself into the air before it could reach her. As she did, however, something snatched her by the ankle, like a tentacle, and it wasn't until she was slammed into the ground that she realized it was the monster's long tongue that snagged her from the air.

With a wince, Dahlia propped herself up. As soon as the slimy rope had released her, its tip enlarged into a frightening display of a razor-sharp teeth, much like its hosts. It was like staring at a skinny eel.

She grabbed the tongue just behind its ugly fangs, forcing the alien to stumble forward. As she would slice the tongue clean off, a screech of pain emitted into the air, loud enough to even make the Valkyrie wince.

Dahlia took this moment to finish the horror off. Her sickles would return to her, giving the monster two, fresh cuts before she would finish it. She jumped onto it, jamming both blades into the beast's chest. Again, it would scream a horrible, deafening sound, but not for long.

Using the pair of edges to separate its ribcage, Dahlia silenced the ugly creature once and for all. She hadn't even noticed the blood on her front as she watched the storm cave in on itself. Nightmares fell from the sky like rain, their tentacles limp behind them as they hit the ground, thud after thud.

There was something else...

A larger figure fell from the eye of the storm, and as it hit the ground, Dahlia watched with terror.

She was running ahead before she could even process her concern. As she came closer, she first stopped before a golden helmet - it possessed horns on its top, curved like her blades.

 _No_...

Her eyes lifted to the limp body that was lying face-first in the ground.

"Loki!"

She hurried to him, falling to her knees beside him to roll him onto his back. His eyes were closed, and he gave no response. She gave him a firm shake, grabbing him by his leather armor before she would yell at him again.

"Hey, wake up!"

Still nothing.

She sighed, sitting up for a moment. He still seemed to be breathing, but he was most definitely unconscious.

"What on earth were you doing in there?" she muttered, although she knew she would get no answer from him. At least, not right now.

It was a bit of a struggle, but she managed to get him into the passenger seat and drove him back to the house on the hill. By now, the cats were silent, and all that remained was Bo, who was sitting on the living room chair, watching curiously as she dragged Loki inside and onto the sofa.

Now that she could see him in the light of the room, there were gashes all along his body. Whatever that creature was, it had gotten its claws into him, and the wounds were deep and seemingly poisonous. The flesh around the cuts appeared bruised and blackened.

Hopefully, she could do something to alleviate it.

She dialed Thor's number, for starters. She supposed it was no real surprise that once again, the God of Thunder was not answering his phone. Perhaps it was possible that he didn't even know how to use the thing. Regardless, she didn't bother to leave a message this time. She needed a few things to cure this poison. She hurried up the stairs and onto the balcony. From one of the flower pots, she pulled pulled out a dead seedling, though thankfully, it wasn't a blossom or even a leaf that she needed.

She swiftly went into the kitchen, nearly tripping over the cat in the process. "Damnit, Bo!" she growled. Of course, the cat nearly gave Dahlia a look as if it was her fault.

She grabbed the mortar and pestle, mashing up the roots thoroughly before she would grab a bottle of water. She poured some of it into a pot, along with the ground roots, and then set it on the stove to heat up. While she would wait for the water to boil, she returned to Loki to find that while he was still unconscious, he was now breaking into a cold sweat. He looked incredibly uncomfortable, as if he was having a horrible nightmare that he couldn't wake up from. She took these moments to take off his upper clothes. She would need complete access to the wounds if she was going to do this right.

"Hang in there," she whispered, though it was difficult to keep her own self together in her panic. Never had she shown this much concern for any of the S.H.I.E.L.D. workers that got hurt. Aiding them was no real panic, but for some reason, she felt fear now.

She grabbed a cloth from the kitchen and drenched it in cold water, giving the concoction on the stovetop a quick stir before she would return to Loki. She placed the wet cloth on his forehead with care, kneeling beside the sofa. There wasn't much else she could do until the water had started boiling. Until then, it seemed like waiting for a lifetime.

Finally, after checking on the root-water a couple of times, she would bring the pot over to the couch, using her fingers to apply a brown, smelly paste onto the incisions. She even used the excess to make sure every cut was thoroughly coated.

Now, all she could do was wait for the infection to go down.

She placed her head on the side of the sofa, sighing quietly. Again, she wondered how the God of Mischief had gotten himself into this mess. Indeed, it did seem that neither of them could stay out of trouble.

Her eyes closed, her exhaustion once again catching up with her as she would drift off.

She didn't even recall dreaming. She thought she might have heard Bo mewling for a brief moment, but she was too tired to even respond.

Then, as her eyes reopened to sunlight, she jumped up. To her surprise, she was lying in her bed. Everything seemed...utterly normal.

Had the entire thing been an elaborate dream?

She sat up, making her way down the stairs. As she passed by the living room, she paused, noting the empty pot sitting on the table by the couch. The room, however, seemed deserted.

Of course, he left.

Dahlia huffed slightly, but she smiled faintly. He must have been feeling well enough to at least get up and move around. For that, she was relieved.

Then, as she came into the kitchen, she swore she must have jumped five feet in the air when she saw a shirtless someone standing by the table, looking through one of the bay windows.

"Fuck..." she exhaled, catching her breath. "I thought you left."

Loki looked at her, slightly alarmed. As he turned to face her, she noticed his wounds had healed, leaving behind only a couple of scars, both of which were barely even noticeable. "Should I?" he inquired casually. "...Leave?"

"Oh, no..." she murmured, smiling. "You should probably rest." Once she had gathered herself, she opened up the fridge. She would prepare two mugs of hot chocolate. "You look better than you did last night."

"I've been through worse, I promise you." Loki sat at the table. "You did a fine job of cleaning up the mess, I see. How?"

"Helebrede blossom roots," she said, placing the two mugs in the microwave to warm up. "The best antivenom you could get in Asgard."

"How did you get your hands on helebredes?"

"There was a small handful of seeds in the headquarters that I might have stolen a few months ago," she murmured. "Since then, I've kept them on hand."

Loki gave her an entertained smile. "Well, if you hadn't stolen those seeds... I may not be sitting here right now."

Dahlia chuckled, making light of the topic. "You're a God. You would have found a way." She took the cups from the microwave, setting one of them down in front of him as she would sit across from him at the small, round table.

"What's this?"

"Not coffee," Dahlia answered vaguely, smiling.

"It's not ale, either," he came to his own conclusion.

"No. It's even better."

Loki eyed the drink for a moment before he would try a small sip of it. She watched his expression shift from reluctance to pure satisfaction.

"Hot chocolate. Best beverage this realm has to offer."

Helping himself to another sip, he hadn't even answered her, though was quick to set down the drink with a hiss of pain. Instantly, Dahlia straightened in alarm.

"What?" She watched as he inhaled deeply, then fanned his hand at his mouth. Dahlia giggled. "Well, yeah, it's hot."

She invited him to help himself to a shower, and she was glad that today was her day off. While she very much needed the rest, she needed to take some time to clean up the field of Nightmare corpses. Hopefully, someone else hadn't already stumbled across them.

She got herself changed as she waited, wiggling into a pair of black, stretch pants and a red tank. She was getting her shoes back on when the bathroom door opened, and Loki came out, fully dressed, his black hair still damp.

She was almost disappointed he hadn't come out in less clothes, really.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked her.

"I have a mess to clean up," she said. "Someone's got to do something about those dead Mares."

"Ah," Loki smiled, taking a couple of steps to her. "In that case, let me help."

"Loki, you should be resting."

"I'm perfectly fine. It's the least I can do."

She supposed she couldn't deny his assistance, and she was beginning to enjoy his company more than she cared to admit. "Before we go..."

He watched her curiously as she rose to her feet, and she came closer. Seeing him alive and well gave her peace of mind, but it also left her struggling with something else. She didn't think she could get enough of this man - if one could really call him such.

"What troubles you, pet?"

As he looked down at her, she could tell Loki was hosting the same sort of struggle, even if he played it much cooler than she had.

She could just take him right here and now, but something held her back. He was, after all, still recovering. Besides, there were more important things to be addressed.

"Nothing," she lied, offering a smile. "I'm just glad you're okay."


	8. Chapter 8

The Nightmares were still just where they had left them. The best way to dispose of the bodies was to burn them, and so the two Asgardians built a fire to get them started. It was a long afternoon, and though it was a bit chilly, the heat and constant movement helped keep their blood warm.

By sunset, the field was rid of demonic remains. There was nothing left of them, as the creatures were merely made of flesh and cartilage.

They had to have burned at least a hundred of them.

"Do you suppose there's any of them left out there?" she asked Loki as they watched the fire die down.

"If so, I'm confident there can't be much more."

Dahlia crossed her arms, fighting back a shiver. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving, and I'm cold."

As they returned to the house, Dahlia was surprised to see a masculine figure standing in front of the house. Just as the car was pulling into the driveway, the man paused, as if he had been getting ready to leave.

"Damn," Loki muttered, sinking slightly in the passenger's seat. "What is he doing here?"

"My thoughts exactly," Dahlia murmured, parking the car before she would climb out. "Hey, Thor."

Thor offered a smile, even as he spotted his brother quietly exiting the vehicle as if he did not want to be seen. "I saw you called, and you didn't answer when I called back, so..."

"It's been a long day," Dahlia murmured. She hadn't realized until just then that she had left her phone at the house. Hopefully, no emergencies had come up.

"Brother," Thor now addressed Loki, who flinched slightly as he ceased his trek towards the porch. "Taxing day for you, as well?"

"Very," Loki said. "A horde of Nightmares has been disposed of, nonetheless. So, I consider this taxing day a successful one."

"Very well," Thor said, appearing clueless. "Then, you and I should go have some drinks. I'm sure Dahlia could use some rest."

Loki shared a brief glance with her before he would surrender to his brother's offering. She knew what Thor was doing: no doubt, he thought he was doing her a favor by relieving her of Loki, when in reality...

Once they had taken their leave, she retreated inside. She would grab herself a meal once she got the cats fed, and as she seated herself in the kitchen with a homemade sub, she ate in silence.

After getting herself cleaned up, she crawled into the bed and underneath the sheets, unable to keep her mind off of her lover. Her body screamed for attention, and though Loki wasn't here to provide it, there were other ways.

Her eyes closed, and with a deep breath, her hand brushed down her naked body.

The next day, she was back to focusing her attention on the remaining Nightmares. They were were beginning to become difficult to track - far and few between, which in a way was probably a good thing.

It wasn't until later that evening that she heard anything from anyone. Her phone rang from a number that was unfamiliar to her, though the voice that came from the other end of the line gave her great glee.

"Dahlia?" It was a woman's voice. One that she hadn't heard in a couple of months.

"Sam...?" she stuttered briefly. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah, I..." she heard her clear her throat. "How have you been?"

"Good, actually. Been busy cleaning up my mess, but... it's been interesting."

"I've heard," Samantha said. "Thor and I talked about you, and...I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry."

Dahlia sat on the couch, staring at the ground. It felt amazing to hear her say that. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I put you in danger..."

"I wanted to go. I knew what I was getting into, I just... didn't know the extent of it. That wasn't your fault." For a few seconds, it was silent. Then, her friend continued.

"Jerry and I are going to a social event next Friday. Kind of one of those things that is more fun if you bring someone with you. Maybe you and Thor should come with. We'll carpool."

"A... social event?"

"It's formal. My old boss throws these sort of parties once a month. Exotic foods, orchestra, waltzes..."

Dahlia smiled faintly. "Sounds nice." Years ago in Asgard, when Frigga was still alive, she would occasionally throw similar parties. It had been a very long time since Dahlia had danced.

Sam wanted to pick her up and help her pick out a dress for the occasion. They would meet up the next day, have lunch, and do some looking around. It was like coming back home, being around the first, real friend she had since arriving in this strange world.

She must have tried on fifty dresses, but finally, come nighttime, they finally found a gown for Dahlia to sport. It was black, and though it was relatively simple in design, it was sultry and delicately draped in lace. It hugged at every curve until it spread out light a siren's tail at her legs.

Feeling accomplished, they both called it a night as Samantha dropped her off back at her house. She hugged her tightly, and for a moment, Dahlia thought she heard a sniffle. "I promise I won't leave you again, okay?"

"Okay." Dahlia smiled, resting her chin on her friend's shoulder. "Thank you for everything."


	9. Chapter 9

The invitation to the party was a nice gesture, although Dahlia wasn't certain as to whether or not going was a wise idea. Samantha had suggested she bring Thor. That was a comical thought, so much that she actually entertained it. After all, despite her strange, growing relationship with Loki, she was certain he was not one who would be interested in attending a ball.

So, she called Thor.

"So, did Sam or Jerry say anything to you about a social event?"

"A social event?" he repeated. Then, he followed up. "Oh, you mean the mission?"

"The mission?" she questioned back. "No, it's a party. Like, a masquerade or something."

"The very same. Did...she not tell you it was a mission?"

Dahlia was confused. Lowering the smart phone slightly from her ear, she wondered if Samantha was really trying to rekindle their friendship, or if she really just wanted her help.

Why couldn't she just tell her? Dahlia would have been fine with the whole truth.

"What is the mission?" she asked.

"Her former employer recently let go a rather dangerous worker. His name is Keith Carr. Word has it he's very pissed and very exceptional at making deadly concoctions."

"Is he a threat to this gathering, then?"

"Most likely."

Dahlia nodded. "Exciting." Sitting on the bed, she looked at the gown that draped from the door on a hanger. "Let's go together. It'll be fun."

The party was in a week, which gave her time to regroup from the laborious task of eliminating the Nightmares. It was nice to not have to pull tentacles out of her cleavage and slime out of her hair for a change.

During the next, few days, it was peculiar that she hadn't seen any sign of Loki. Whether this was a good thing or not, she couldn't exactly decide. Was he even on this plane of existence, or in another dimension entirely?

It was a struggle, keeping her musings off of the mischievous god. She had to find extra work just to keep her hands and mind busy.

Time went by quickly, so much that Dahlia found herself in the courtyard with Samantha, who was dressed in an elegant, royal-blue gown, and her husband adorning a suit that matched in color.

The strangest thing was being on Thor's arm, who wore a suit nothing like she was used to. It wasn't that it looked bad, as it did make him look quite charming, even with the shorter hair and eyepatch. It was just so...

...Human.

As they stepped inside the giant estate, they were almost immediately greeted by a server with a tray of drinks. "Champagne?" the gentleman offered. Dahlia took one, as did Thor, but neither of them seemed keen on sipping from it just yet.

"Can you tell if it's poisoned?" she asked him quietly.

"No, but I don't think he would have the guests drop this early," Thor muttered back. He sniffed discreetly at the rim of the glass, and then dipped his finger in it and tasted it. Poison still could harm Asgardians, but it had to be a good amount to have any effect. A full glass would be enough, but a drop was just enough to have Thor shaking his head. "It's safe. For now."

Dahlia sipped her drink, watching other attendees of the ball. Everyone was dressed elegantly, and it faintly reminded Dahlia of a movie she had seen in this world with a beautiful girl who attended a ball with glass slippers, only to lose one of them.

A four-member orchestra played on an elevated platform on the far side of the giant room, and just a few yards from them were a couple of tables consisting of snacks, all placed in front of a tall statue of a woman holding what appeared to be a cornucopia holding gold coins. Instantly, Dahlia's eyes lit up. Before she could take more than two step, Thor tugged her back by the arm.

She pouted slightly.

"We need to be careful," he advised. "Just because the drinks aren't spiked, doesn't mean the food isn't."

"I suppose," she sighed. She wished she had eaten before coming.

For the first hour, they merely watched. The music was a bit different to what she was used to, as was the dancing that some of the guests performed. Dahlia was reminded again of the Asgardian dances that she once attended. She smiled faintly at Thor, deciding to strike up a conversation.

"Remember Freyr had crashed one of Frigga's parties because he couldn't keep his hands off the women there?"

"I see your memory is returning to you," he said with a smile. "Yes, I recall him being quite drunk that she had a couple of men escort him out... quite forcefully, I might add."

Dahlia laughed. He was right. More and more of her memories had returned to her over time, especially over the past, few weeks. Some that were less comical, even, such as the fight against Hela.

Thor seemed to notice change in her eyes and gave her a quizzical look. "Is everything alright?"

The Valkyrie smiled falsely. "Sometimes I think too much of my memory is coming back. That's all."

"How about a dance to keep your mind busy?" He offered a hand to her, and to her surprise, she was more than willing to accept. It had been many years since she danced.

She would follow his lead into a simple dance, one hand holding hers and the other hand on her waist. It seemed rather strange, especially when she caught Sam's amusing, open-mouthed stare from several yards away.

Good thing Jerry wasn't paying attention.

Thor was only a friend to Dahlia, which was why this didn't leave her in disarray.

However, her attention was diverted as she spotted two, suited men at the top of the stairs on the far side of the room. Somehow, they appeared secretive, quietly talking to one another, leaving her suspicious.

"Dahlia?"

She inhaled, unaware her behavior had been do obvious. "Hm. Sorry, lost in my thoughts," she lied. Conveniently, the song came to an end, allowing her an opening to pull away. "Would you excuse me a moment, please?"

She might have been overanalyzing, which was why she hadn't spoken up about her observation to Thor. Instead, she took it upon herself to investigate on her own. After all, she had been in scuffles much worse than a couple of mortals that were up to no good.

She took a martini glass with her, intending to use it more as a prop than anything else. As she headed up the curved staircase, she did so carefully until she heard a hushed conversation between the two men.

"He said the signal is the toast. That's when you lock the back door. Henry has the front door, and I got the foyer."

"No one is getting out. Or at least, they're not getting far."

 _Bingo._

It only took her seconds to come up with a plan as she stood with her back against the wall. She gave it a few moments before she would come into view of the two men. Her stealthy steps would turn into a stumble, and she emitted a giggle.

"I'm sorry, I think I'm lost." They both gave her questioning looks, though the taller man on the left seemed slightly humoured. "I'm looking for the lady's room."

"You shouldn't really be up here, ma'am. I'll make an exception, but you'll have to be quick."

"Oh, thank you!" she played, putting her hand on the banister as if she was trying to keep her balance.

Granted, she was feeling rather foolish, but what was important was that it was working.

The suspicious man that offered to show her to the bathroom nodded to the other individual, would take her arm gently, and as they headed down a hallway, Dahlia discovered quickly that the creep had other plans than he was letting her in on.

She kept her act going, however, leaving him to think he was getting away with taking advantage of a drunken woman as he led her into a lounge.

"This isn't the bathroom," she slurred, looking around as if she was dazed. "Did we take a wrong turn?"

"Here, have a seat." He ushered her to the sofa, and though Dahlia was ready for a drastic change in events, she kept her game on. Doing as she was told, she plopped onto the green cushions, exhaling heavily.

"I should get back downstairs."

She would move to get uo slowly, and like she anticipated him to, he would stop her, putting his hand on her leg. It moved towards the slit of her gown, and just as the fingers reached skin, they also brushed on something cool and firm to the touch.

After all, Dahlia made sure to come prepared with a set of daggers, in case things got ugly. She looked at him, her act of drunken stupor dropping like a brick. He looked back at her, as if confused, but before he could understand what was happening, the Valkyrie thrust up her arm, sending her elbow into his chin and sending him back just enough for her to get the blade secured beneath her dress.

Before her target could recover, she tripped him to the floor, and her heel anchored his leg, threatening to puncture it if he tried to get up.

"What is Keith Carr up to?" she demanded, pointing the knife towards his face. He breathed heavily, but sneered up at her. She already knew he wasn't going to tell her without a little bloodshed.

"Crazy bitch, I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm going to ask again." Her foot pressed harder down, and the stiletto's spike penetrated through fabric and flesh, emitting a yell of pain. "I know you're working for him, and he's planning something horrific for everyone in this building, and if you don't tell me what it is..." Dahlia knelt down, which only applied more pressure from her heel, and she pressed the blade to his cheek. "Then I will make this very slow and very painful."

He hollered again, gritting his teeth, and as blood trickled from his pant leg, he gasped out. "Poison gas... in the statue of Fortuna."


End file.
